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Culture, Music, and Friendships - A Recipie for Adventure
14 July 2003 @ 12:02 p.m.
Yesterday definitely gave the adventure I was seeking. Nothing went according to the original plan, yet it all worked out beautifully in the end.
Started off leaving House#1 a bit later than expected. The Mother was insistent on too many little things of random note. Drive down was easy � I continue to surprise myself with my navigation skills and memory for roads in cities I hardly visit. Detroit was sunny and just beautiful as I found a free parking spot a few blocks from the park. Chene Park in Detroit is just a gorgeous little spot on the river. Since I had never been there, I had no idea what to expect. Thousands of folks of every color milling around booths and stages. Music from around the world streaming from three separate stages. My first impression was a calmer, smaller Summerfest, though I�m sure this is how every music festival feels.
I decided not to call up the kids I was planning on meeting right away; instead I went to the main stage area � a beautiful outdoor amphitheater � to sit and watch a female band from Australia. Fruit is absolutely fantastic. A mix of folk rock and blues and just excellently played. I was incredibly impressed; in fact I do plan on finding their album at some point or even trying to get to another concert. After an hour or so, I called up dork to meet up, since he was supposedly the �taxi� for the band. Left a message on his voicemail and went in search of another friend of mine.
Within minutes I get a call on the stupid little pre-paid cell, dork isn�t at the festival due to some interesting circumstances with the aforementioned band. I had just met up with my other friend, and me being the planning mom-type, I decided for the two guys that I would go pick up dork and leave the other one there to pack up his booth and we�d meet up in a bit. I wonder if they both realized that I told them what to do? Anyway . . .
I am NOT from Detroit nor do I have any plans of ever living there, but as I mentioned earlier I have impeccable navigational skills. So what if the road was closed that I was told to take to get out to his place? I made my own way . . . in the rain. That�s right, a freakish rainstorm came up out of nowhere as I drove out there. Pouring rain, lightning, yet there were beautiful blue skies ahead and behind me. Michigan weather, eh?
Picked up the dork, made it back down to the park through some horrific torrential rains, yet it was barely sprinkling over the tiny riverside park. Perfect. Met up with the other one, and sat down for a night of perfect musics. First up was Natacha Atlas and her band. Good stuff, but the keyboard player was a hoot. He didn�t move. Period. Her music was great though, incredibly sensual and exotic. Next up was a short set by a duo of lute players called DuOud. Totally amazing mixture of electronica and traditional lute music. Who would have guessed a pair of lutes could gain a standing ovation from several hundred Michiganders?
The last artist of the night was the reason I �dragged� the boys with me. The main reason I wanted to venture on the jaunt south to Detroit � Bo Diddley. The grandfather of rock and roll still has it together in every possible way. Even after 49 years in the business, he still was able to walk out on stage himself, play for what seemed an eternity, and still get up to play the drums and continue on with a rap. That�s right, kids, I heard Bo Diddley rap.
The stage is right on the river, making it picturesque to begin with, but then a beautiful full moon rose over the Canadian shore. It was perfect.
We called it an early night, I dropped dork off at home and started my way back through the construction. Wound up taking a bit of a different route due to a Wendy�s break and did something that maybe I shouldn�t have.
I drove past J�s place. His apartment was right there, then I was sitting in the parking lot next to his car. It was just about midnight as I circled around the apartment complex trying to decide if I wanted to do anything else. A great bitterness and hatred welled up inside of me, that this person who was my closest male friend had no desire to ever try to patch up our relationship, that he had no desire to save something he used to cherish almost more than I. Five years of being inseparable, five years of lighthearted fun times, five years of life as best friends just thrown out. I drove away without getting out of the car. Plagued by stomach pains the last hour of my drive back, I knew they were due to eating fast food so late at night and attempting to confront my lingering feelings surrounding the end of the best thing that ever happened to me.
It was definitely an adventure for me; I was able to get out of the house and spend time with people who honestly had something for brains. Let�s hope it was enough to recharge me for another month or so.
currently reading: Arrows of the Queen � Mercedes Lackey
currently listening: Female Focus station on Netscape Radio
